Thank You Indy Pride
By Lilith Rengstorf
I was wearing a black sun hat, black shorts, a yellow off-shoulder blouse, and platform boots with rainbow laces. The colors of my pride flag: blue, purple, pink, sprawled across my cheeks in a galaxy inspired blush, dotted with crystal stars. I’ve been out as bisexual to family and close friends for two and a half years, but even then, I wasn’t out publicly. The Indianapolis Pride Fest in early June was the first time I truly realized that there is a huge community of people like me, and thousands of people that support me, for being me. As I said to my partner that day,
“I’ve never seen this many gay people in one place!” I’m from a medium-sized town in Northwest Indiana, and even though I have many friends that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, the majority of people in my town are straight and cis. Going to the Indianapolis Pride Fest was eye-opening for me, and I realized for the first time that the LGBTQ+ community is truly that… a community.
I’m not usually a person who enjoys loud crowded places, and I tend to be very anxious in these situations. But not at pride. I felt so safe there, and I was having hilarious conversations with people I’d never met before, which is so far from my norm that when I told my mother about my experience that night she remarked,
“Who are you?” while laughing. It was so amazing to see so many people from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, people of all ages, and body types being unapologetically themselves, and having the chance to meet people and to support LGBTQ+ small business owners at their vendor booths. There was no judgment there, even before walking into the festival itself I was met with compliments on my outfit, my pride flag, and my makeup from people walking past me and around me. My partner and I were also met with cheers for wearing our pride flags, (nonbinary and bisexual, respectively) from people in the cars and floats leaving the parade.
The pride fest volunteers directing us through the ticket gate made sure to counter the shouts of the protesters across the street with
“Don’t listen to them, you’re in the right place, you belong here”, and the older lesbian couple behind us in line leaned in and told us, “They don’t know what they’re talking about, you are meant to be here, and you are who you are, and we love you”. A girl I’d never met before walked up to me, and handed me a sparkly rainbow sticker telling me that she bought it from a vendor but it “fit my vibe better” and that I should have it. The kindness and solidarity that day truly made me realize that I’m not alone, regardless of anything the world tells me.
I have always wanted to attend a pride fest, but was either too busy, or too young, or too nervous. Now that I’ve finally experienced it, it was the most positive and beautiful experience for me.
Lilith Rengstorf is from Northwest Indiana, and recently graduated from Valpo High School. She will be attending Butler University for Biology in the fall. Lilith uses she/they pronouns and has been publicly out as bisexual for around two years. In their free time Lilith enjoys reading, sewing, and knitting.
